You’ll be peasantly surprised by this hidden Coal River Valley gem

This recently opened cafe and wine bar captures the best of the region and packages it beautifully in a cosy space just made for lazy afternoons over a glass or two of wine, writes Alix Davis

3 min read

September 13, 2024 - 5:00AM

Larder & Vin’s classic grazing boards are a great accompaniment to one of the fine wines on offer at the establishment. Picture: Supplied by Larder & Vin

Food and Wine

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There’s much to love about a day in the historic village of Richmond – home to Australia’s oldest bridge and Catholic church as well as a slew of beautifully preserved Georgian houses and enough antique shops to keep me fossicking for days. Established in the early 1800s, Richmond was a military staging post and convict station between Port Arthur and Hobart, now it’s the heart of the Coal River Valley, known for its food and wine.

Larder & Vin, a recently opened cafe, wine bar and providore tucked in a courtyard off the main street, captures the best of the region and packages it beautifully in a cosy space that’s just made for lazy afternoons over a glass or two of wine. “Freshly baked bread, a wedge of cheddar and a splash of local plonk; if this is the food of the peasantry, count me in for a life of hard toil in the sun,” states their website and I’m thoroughly on board.

There’s a short and simple menu of bread and cheese and things that go well with bread and cheese. Given that I could happily live off bread and cheese for a reasonable amount of time, I am in heaven. You could really relax and order a classic grazing board ($65) that includes three artisanal cheeses, two cured meats, pate, olives, pickles and bread or you could get slightly more involved and choose your own adventure.

A combo of dried ham, sausage and rustic bread is one of several delicious offerings that go very well with a glass or two of ‘plonk’, at Larder & Vin. Picture: Supplied by Larder & Vin

We order the duck and cherry pate ($18) – a fat slice of rich pate topped with traditional jelly and served with a bowl of cherry chutney. Slices of crisp baguette accompany it, but three pieces isn’t quite enough and we ask for some more.

Larder & Vin came about when owner Jasmin Rankin wondered why there wasn’t a wine bar and providore in the village where she’s renovating a cottage.

“I love the township,” she says, but it felt like something was missing. She’d been collecting vintage pieces for years and found the aged timber counter under her house when she bought it – “covered in bird poo!” You’d never guess, but this is her first hospitality venture – she says she wanted to create something “unpretentious. The food’s not fussy, but it’s good.” She’s succeeded on all fronts.

Larder & Vin’s classic grazing boards are a great accompaniment to one of the fine wines on offer at the establishment. Picture: Supplied by Larder & Vin

There’s an extensive wine list featuring local drops as well as plenty from the mainland and Europe. Most are reasonably priced, with a couple of push-the-boat-out options as well.

Wines by the glass are listed on the blackboard menu along with a couple of cocktails and some local beers. It’s a wonderfully cosy room and we settle in at a weathered trestle table with a glass of red and tuck into the pork and pistachio terrine ($19) that has just arrived. Again, a few more pieces of bread would be a welcome addition, but the terrine itself is delicious – dense and meaty and reminiscent of the French countryside. A daub of Dijon mustard complements it perfectly.

In addition to the menu, there’s a cabinet of prepared sandwiches and of course I can’t resist a ploughman’s toastie ($16) – this one made with bread from Six Russell Bakes, pickles, provolone cheese and mortadella – a charcuterie item that’s really having a moment right now. The New York Times declared it a cold cut that had become a hot ticket, with a long history.

“In Italy, mortadella’s prestige peaked during the Renaissance, when ingredients like peppercorns from East Asia and pistachios from the Mediterranean were fabulously expensive, and artful food became a medium of conspicuous consumption for the likes of the Medici and Borgia families.”

Cheese and figs are another great combination to try with some of the wines on offer at Larder & Vin. Picture: Supplied by Larder & Vin

Larder & Vin’s stylish interior. Picture: Supplied by Larder & Vin

This toastie may be a far cry from the food of the courts of the Renaissance but it’s absolutely delicious and I add a loaf of bread from the larder portion of the shop to take home.

That’s right, almost everything you can eat here is also available to take away for a picnic, a cheese board at home or a night in by the fire.

A plate of fresh oysters at Larder & Vin also complement their range of wines well. Picture: Supplied by Larder & Vin

Delicious homemade sourdough bread from Larder & Vin. Picture Supplied by Larder & Vin

Gourmet dinner packs for two to three people ($40) include a portion of hand-cut L&V pasta, your choice of lamb and ricotta meatballs, primavera or mushroom and sausage or rabbit ragu plus a wedge of Parmigiano Regiano for grating.

Browse the well-stocked fridge, larder shelves and baker’s racks for all the elements of a rustic, country meal or organise a private event with friends after dark. How much toiling you do in the sun is completely up to you.